[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6261154,"mediaKeyId","3124537-01f8e360edaa6365db15cb76de41ade5","parentId",3124537,"title","Parents tell Kent School District board their children were denied access to special‑education services","audioSeconds",278,"startMs",6342000,"endMs",6620000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3124537-01f8e360edaa6365db15cb76de41ade5&start=6342&end=6620","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3124537-01f8e360edaa6365db15cb76de41ade5/thumbnail_6342000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6261154/Washington/Parents-tell-Kent-School-District-board-their-children-were-denied-access-to-specialeducation-services","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6261154-afe4e6c40cdd96762cfe77e8f4391459/orig.mp4?Expires=1771088028&Signature=FZ9HtyMtfoIHQmnUqBLLaiOOHCRZcjScN~w~NMjZavj8gz2uV0kiulthBoQgSHTgUxqok9Z5mB0-dApLnGp~jmqYr0Ss2tkEXEoCL-KNSe3L33wxrr8hcbD~Lx~cTccUPkfZOJoEvX25BWeQ~p8-LRPSFSE9Ovq9IJiI3uZC4Gf0hae4t~NRYqCmzZJnh6-nGWshzZZzsSg8hM8FPdW~wM7LYiEclIUo9LW4usfKAALXFm4KbjPlA1SRkVySLXD~pBdGyJmAapOgA-tha2vS1gePgIdZdUUyjOcUoKZyr-Jc1iHBvdqZReAvqs8jdkRPvjO7VzP1L-0tthI9N3Z7ZQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Kent School District, Washington","date","2025-04-25T16:55:53.527Z","article","Two parents spoke during public comment to accuse district leaders of denying special‑education students interim access to services and of failing to provide curriculum while students awaited placement.

\"These are children; their education is not just a line item, it's a lifeline,\" said Caitlin Tin, who identified herself as an advocate for a fourth‑grade student whom she said has been out of her nonpublic agency placement since Feb. 20. Tin said district staff denied requests for interim programming and required meetings repeatedly without defined purpose, and that communication had been blocked despite a valid release of information.

Jennifer Liggett, who said she is the parent of a fourth‑grade Kent School District student, said her daughter has been excluded from school since mid‑day on Feb. 20. Liggett said district staff quoted policies without providing sources, delayed responses despite an alleged 48‑hour response expectation, and blocked interim supports that Liggett said were ready to start. She said the situation has caused academic and social regression in her child and called the denial of services a systemic failure.

Both speakers asked the board to review leadership decisions, demand transparency and restore student access to a free and appropriate public education (FAPE). Liggett noted districtwide figures she described as context, saying Kent School District serves more than 25,000 students and that about 13 percent receive inclusive education services.

Board procedure interrupted one commenter to remind speakers not to provide personally identifiable information. Board members did not respond directly from the dais during the public comment period; superintendent Israel Vela’s report and later board business followed the public comments.

Ending: The speakers urged the board to take action; the board did not announce any immediate personnel or policy steps on the record at the meeting. The parents requested review and transparency from district leadership to restore access to educational services.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","KSD Regular Board Meeting - 04/23/25","oneSentenceSummary","Two parents told the board that their daughters have been kept out of school since Feb. 20 and alleged the district has not provided interim educational services; they asked the board to investigate leadership decisions and ensure students receive a free and appropriate public education.","taxTitle","Kent School District, School Districts, Washington","taxId",14629,"location","Washington","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6261159,"Kent School District board votes down proposed consultant‑contracts policy after public concern over oversight",733,8145000,8878000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3124537-01f8e360edaa6365db15cb76de41ade5&start=8145&end=8878","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3124537-01f8e360edaa6365db15cb76de41ade5/thumbnail_8145000.jpg","/articles/6261159/Washington/Kent-School-District-board-votes-down-proposed-consultantcontracts-policy-after-public-concern-over-oversight","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6261159-bdeda279d2296198b3d034ab3424dfa9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771088028&Signature=PF8NDnp1egn-J68OG165LkFrGscWqnIK3E1~~cPWBP~SoYbSFqpMtLlxVeG6Xdz80w4TnYdLKpOLf4omswqQp7p47mfYFduDO2ttqkjvjkbS-pPZZFC-xW9IqHLUosMsJJDxJWCSTp7ApyVMPva2VzKWJ2ZwFGZEo6RxgAgROfPz~pAZRNC2IMdh8Msewe0rw0~LnsI~N8hQ5EWb5lY06nnqRiYrG-dOnIpXKBPfp-GSPfpsoeStSN57EG-EkmuZ5BlYduhJxjt-~L-t-lF5Fg1CVxgE330kb2YtDe~kYbiyKiBP4AZsDst-zU-ozfBxZL~PvNSD6~09sz6AQl7qgQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Kent School District Board voted unanimously against adopting a proposed consultant‑contracts policy after members raised unresolved questions about oversight, compensation limits and cross‑references to existing procurement rules.

At the board’s third reading of Policy 50.50 (Contracts), a public commenter urged the board to reinstate a consultant compensation cap and require board approval for consultant contracts to avoid conflicts of interest and improve fiscal accountability. “The final board policy 50 50 prioritizes flexibility over accountability,” said Greta Nelson during public comment; she asked the board to mandate a cap and require board approval for consultant contracts.

Board members questioned specific deletions and wording changes from a model policy. Director Clark asked why the district did not use the WASDA model policy language and why a clause limiting consultant compensation to amounts comparable to regular staff had been removed. District staff said the deleted sentence applied to agency hires (temporary agency staff) and that consultant contracts are treated differently; staff offered to add cross‑references to the district’s purchasing and contracting thresholds in policy 62.2.

Board discussion highlighted additional textual issues. Directors said the draft included redundant or unclear language in sections addressing \"leave replacement\" and \"retire‑rehire\" employees; one director recommended further editing and legal review. Legal counsel advised the board that the cleanest course would be to vote on the current draft and bring a revised version back for another reading if necessary.

A motion to approve the policy failed in a recorded vote: 0 in favor, 5 opposed. Board members then agreed to return the policy draft to staff for additional revision and to include clearer cross‑references to purchasing thresholds that trigger board approval.

Ending: The board’s rejection leaves the district’s existing contract rules in place while staff prepare a revised draft addressing compensation language, cross‑references to procurement policy and the identified redundancy in employee‑category language.","After public comment raising conflict‑of‑interest and transparency concerns, the board voted 0‑5 against adopting the proposed Policy 50.50 on contracts, saying changes need further clarification and cross‑references to existing purchasing thresholds.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6261162,"Kent School District principals outline layered approach to high school bathroom safety",3257,518000,3775000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3124537-01f8e360edaa6365db15cb76de41ade5&start=518&end=3775","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3124537-01f8e360edaa6365db15cb76de41ade5/thumbnail_518000.jpg","/articles/6261162/Washington/Kent-School-District-principals-outline-layered-approach-to-high-school-bathroom-safety","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6261162-37a44e25c27b301a0f0dd522691c2979/orig.mp4?Expires=1771088028&Signature=Tf2wFc4TOlSVAIFTnF4nhyhCceGvRMTZiBnoFGSiP76SIcXXrci1wbMXtl1I-3u1XmKFDA1B0JShn8o7gfCoSiGHkQf0WUEUiOryIeBVFYqxpJoxuUClOW~Eif~srzq5-RtmsWTOhPW5iGhzscG2c7sOjvks-9gN8V0TR4grzLng7p8codNWClVhmJuZix4dc8UnnRua0w7oN-Qde~OAm5lK40CFCbCr5pNa9Lxn7s9o7Se94amdBiFK3hYz29kGSeD58J21eg1-jJ2Ytanw~CZqQ7gr-Ei1shgnIUoYJYhk-7FMP2~z4MtUE4n1re8X1Eac85ISp8ETXK2pqlNtGQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At a special work session of the Kent School District Board, district leaders and four comprehensive high school principals described a set of layered strategies to reduce disorder and improve student access in high school restrooms.

The session, convened to discuss “high school bathrooms,” opened with remarks from Superintendent Israel Vela and district staff and included extended presentations from principals at Kent Meridian, Kentwood, Kent Ridge and Kent Lake. The principals told the board that bathroom problems are not isolated maintenance issues but are tied to attendance, student belonging and campus supervision.

The principals emphasized a three‑part approach: 1) address root causes such as chronic absenteeism and students seeking social connection; 2) increase adult supervision and visibility in known “hot spots”; and 3) use targeted technology and facilities changes. “One of the key things for us in terms of management is being aware of what the challenges are,” said David Radford, principal of Kent Meridian High School, explaining the school's use of staff feedback and student tips to identify and respond to trouble spots. Radford said his campus of “30 plus acres” and roughly “1,600 kids” requires fast, coordinated staff responses when incidents occur.

Kentwood Principal Samantha Kedover described partnerships with the district’s maintenance and facilities team to secure and open bathrooms as needed and cited building layout differences between older and newer wings. “There is one set of bathrooms which is closed pretty much at all times,” Kedover said, noting the team closes some gym foyer bathrooms that cannot be adequately supervised and redirects students to other restrooms and locker rooms.

Kent Ridge Principal Krista Ernst said the district’s bathroom disruptions vary with weather and campus layout and compared the effort to “playing a game of whack‑a‑mole” as staff move to address new hot spots. Kent Lake’s principal said her school’s data showed attendance as a root cause, with the school reporting about 65 percent of its students identified as chronically absent; staff have assigned a rotating “float” administrator to supervision duties each period, used an electronic hall pass system and increased family outreach to get students into class.

Principals and staff described specific tactics already in use: moving mirrors from bathrooms into hallways to reduce crowding; posting multilingual expectations inside restrooms; piloting vape and environmental sensors to detect incidents; and using electronic hall‑pass systems (referred to in the session as Securly Pass or eHallPass) so administrators can see who is out of class and for how long. Several principals praised the district plumber and facilities staff for rapid response when toilets are vandalized or clogged. “We would not have been able to get to a solution without partnering with our maintenance of facilities team,” Kedover said.

Board members raised resource and equity questions. Director Clark and others asked whether heavy staff time devoted to supervising a small percentage of students is the best use of resources. Principals responded that many tactics are tiered: tier‑1 practices (greeting routines, hall supervision, expectations) benefit the majority, while intensive, personnel‑heavy supports are aimed at a small group of students with the greatest needs. “You have to spend more time and resources on the students in the highest tier, because they clearly need something more,” a district staff member said during the exchange.

Board members also asked about temporary or mobile cameras, parent volunteers as hallway monitors, and work‑study or mentorship programs that might add supervision capacity without pulling core instructional staff from classrooms. District staff said some camera purchases are made via state or enterprise contracts and that technology is a tool, not a complete solution.

Principals asked for ongoing board visibility into outcomes. Several requested future updates on incidence data and the effects of specific pilot strategies including sensors and hall‑pass analytics. The principals credited student voice for shaping some changes: Kentwood leaders said civics teachers had supported student engagement that led to presentation of concerns to the board.

The work session was discussion only; no formal board action or policy changes were proposed or voted on at the meeting. Board members thanked the principals for their work and said they expected follow‑up reports on data and pilot results.

Ending: The district framed bathroom issues as one part of a broader effort to reduce chronic absence and increase student belonging, with principals urging continued use of data, staffing strategies and modest facility changes to improve safety and access.

","District principals told the board they treat bathroom problems as symptoms of broader issues — notably chronic absenteeism and student belonging — and described layered responses including supervision plans, technology pilots and attendance-focused interventions.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Parents tell Kent School District board their children were denied access to special‑education services

Kent School District board votes down proposed consultant‑contracts policy after public concern over oversight

Kent School District principals outline layered approach to high school bathroom safety